Improvement in hop-driers



C. A. SANDS.

HOP-DRIER.

No. 189,389. Patented April 10, 1877.

Jay/z WITNESSES PETE S. FflOIO-LITHDGRAPHER. WASmHsYoN. D C.

PATENT FFIGE.

CHARLES A. SANDS, OF BURLINGTON, KANSAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOP-DRIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 19,389, dated April 10,1877; application filed February 3, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. SANDS, of Burlington, in the county ofCoffee and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Hop-Drier,of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a top view of myimproved hop-drier; and Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section on linea; :0, Fig. 1, showing the same in tilted position, ready to receive ordischarge the hops.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention has reference to an improved apparatus for drying hops ina more uniform and convenient manner than the one at present inpractice, so that the entering of the drying-chamber and the turning ofthe hops are dispensed with, while also a quicker charging anddischarging of the hops into and from the drier are obtained, and timeand labor economized thereby.

The market value of the hops depends on the uniform and perfect dryingor curing of the same, which has hitherto been attended to in a carelessmanner, on account of the small experience which most raisers of hopshave in the treating of the same.

My invention is designed to furnish an apparatus by which every growerof hops may dry them more advantageously and perfectly than heretofore,and without exposure to the heat of the drying-room in turning the hops.

The invention consists of a hop-drying apparatus, consisting of acentrally-pivoted box that takes the place of the drying-floor, the boxhaving a top and bottom of wire-gauze, and hinged end doors, thatconnect with openlngs in the walls of the upper and lower stories, forcharging and discharging the hops to and from the drier. The end doorsof the drying-box are provided with transverse rubher cushions orstrips, for closing the space between the walls and the box when saiddoors are in a horizontal position, and thereby gompel the heat to passthrough the drying- In the drawing, A represents a box, of suitablewidth and height, that is hung to a central shaft, B, taking the placeof the dryingfloor generally used in hop-curing sheds. The

box A revolves on the shaft, so as to be swung over entirely by ahand-wheel from the outside, or to be placed in inclined position toconnect with an opening, a, in the walls of the receiving-chamber, whichis on a level with the drying-box and with an exit-opening, b, 01 thepacking-room on the ground floor, containing the heating-room, with thestove.

The top and bottom of the box A are made of wire-gauze, either withhinged doors 0, locked to a center strip or otherwise, or oi perforatedor reticulated sheet metal, or cloth doors, so that the heat from thestove may readily pass through the hops, with which the box is filled.The ends of the box facing the openings at b are provided with hingeddoors D, that are secured by hooks and eyes or otherwise, and seated,when opened, in inclined position in the openings 66 b, so as to assistthe filling oi the box with hops from the receiving-room, or the quickdischarge of the hops to the packing-room when they are sufficientlydried, as shown in Fig. 2.

When the box is entirely filled with hops the upper end door is closed,and also the door E of the entrance-opening a, the dryingbox being thenplaced into horizontal position, and exposed to the heat of the stove.The top doors are then thrown open to admit the free evaporation of themoisture.

Strips d, of rubber or other elastic material, and of sufficientthickness, are applied to the doors I), for the purpose of closing thespace between the walls, and when said doors are in an open orhorizontal position, and thereby compel the heat to pass through thedryingbox.

When the hops are heated to about 180 Fahrenheit, and the lower halfsufficiently dried, the top doors are closed, the box is then revolved,and thereby the top layer or upper half of the hops exposed to theaction of the heat, the turning requiring but a few moments, anddispensing with any one going in the drying-room to accomplish the work.The top doors are again opened, and the drying thus completed. The hopsmay be turned once or oftener, as required, until perfectly dried. Thebox is then placed in inclined po' sition. The doors of the loweropening b and the lower door of the drying-box are opened,

id thereby the hops discharged directly into .e packing-room, withoutshoveling or hand- Jg the same.

The drying-box is now ready to be filled, hich is accomplished byclosing the lower, id opening the upper, doors, saving thereby 1e timehitherto required for waiting till the -ying-room was cool enough toadmit a pern to enter to remove the dried hops.

With this apparatus a greater quantity of ms may be cured in a giventime than in e old way, as the different operations of iarging, turning,and removing the hops are icomplished so much quicker. The hops we allan even thickness or level in the dryg-box, and are thereby moreuniformly dried. A superior and more marketable article is us obtained,that commands a better price an the hops at present cured ininsufficient anner by the hop-growers in the different ates.

Having thus described my invention, I aim as new and desire to secure byLetters went- 1. A hop-drying apparatus, composed of a revoluble andreversible drying-box, having wire-gauze or perforated top and bottomdoors to admit the passage of the heated air, and hinged entrance anddischarge doors at the end, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. The combination, with the drying shaft or chamber, of thecentrally-pivoted and revolving drying box or floor, having hinged doorsat opposite ends, and an entrance-opening above the level of the box anda dischargeopening below the level of the box, to tilt the same ininclined position for receiving or discharging the hops, substantiallyas specified.

3. The combination of the transverse strips or cushions d with the doorsD of the box, to close the space between the box and walls of thedrying-room, substantially as described.

CHARLES A. SANDS.

